Douglas Haider

I admit it. I have been star struck in Vegas few times. There was the time I saw Vanna White. There was the time I saw Mike Tyson. And there was last week, when I got the opportunity to speak with Matthew Gast at Interop.

Okay, so Matthew didn't appear in the movie The Hangover, but he is every bit a heavyweight as "Iron Mike" is, especially when it comes to wireless networking. Matthew is the author of 802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide and has chaired Task Groups for both the IEEE and the Wi-Fi Alliance.

I think it goes without saying, but smart phones and tablet PCs are absolutely revolutionizing the wireless & mobile industry. For example, most of these devices don't even *have* wired Ethernet ports.

However, that leads to several technical challenges, especially with regard to getting the devices securely onto the corporate wireless network. In almost every business meeting I have had in the last 3-6 months, someone asks me how to accomplish this.

You probably already heard the news. Steve Jobs had trouble with Wi-Fi based demos at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. In all fairness, there were reportedly over 500 access points operating in the area. That being said, this problem was avoidable.

What was the problem? At a high level, it was a capacity issue. Wireless is a shared medium, meaning all users contend for the total available bandwidth. In general, the more users there are, the less bandwidth each user experiences.

With the holidays in full swing, I have a few suggestions for last-minute (or late) gifts. As with everything on my "Cautiously Cutting the Cord" blog, they are centered around wireless technology.  Without further ado, here are my recommendations:

• Sony Playstation 3 - A favorite among adolescents and adults alike, the PS3 gets my nod because it incorporates not one, but *two* different wireless technologies. It has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter for connection to the Playstation Network, which allows for online game play, game downloads, and more. The controllers are also wireless, but are not based on Wi-Fi.  Instead, they work on Bluetooth technology.

• Powermat Wireless Charging Station - OK, so I haven't actually used one of these, but they look soooooooooo cool (as emphasized by the extra o's). To the best of my knowledge, the Powermat works on electromagnetic induction, which is to say that it transfers power based on a shared magnetic field. It seems that you need both a mat and a specific "receiver" for the device you want to charge. However, it can charge up to three devices at a time such as iPhones, Blackberries, or Bluetooth headsets.

• An 802.11n Access Point - 802.11n is the latest and greatest wireless standard, which was ratified in September of this year. 802.11n has several technical improvements that allow for greater speed, range, and reliability. These improvements make 802.11n wireless access points a great choice both at home and in the enterprise.

• Pet rock - It's simple. It's affordable. It's wireless. What more could you ask for? OK, this is more of a "gag-gift", but at least it doesn't have to be plugged in...

Which wireless device do YOU hope to get as a gift this holiday season? Let me know by submitting a comment.

This past weekend, I attended the Arizona Cardinals football game. I want to talk about the environment during the game. No, I'm not talking about the environment created by the thousands of screaming fans, the cheerleaders, and the mascot. I am talking about the wireless environment.

During the game, I couldn't seem to place or receive calls, nor could I send or receive text messages. I couldn't surf the Internet or do anything else that makes having a smart phone worth the investment. What was particularly troublesome to me was to look down and see that I had "full bars" and that I had a 3G connection. My phone was telling me that I had a strong signal and the highest data rates, yet it simply didn't function.

Recently, I was trying to purchase a few books from Amazon.com, however, the site was inaccessible. *Gasp* I actually went to Barnes & Noble Online to make my purchase, even though I strongly prefer Amazon. The whole experience made me think about the importance of system reliability.

Because Wi-Fi is both a job and a hobby, my thoughts quickly turned to wireless networking. Which prompts me to ask, "Is your Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) reliable?"